Bamidbar (Numbers) — 16

Rebellion Against Musha and Aarun 

1 Now Kurah the son of Izhar, the son of Kuhath, the son of La'uy, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Aliab, and Un the son of Palath, sons of Rauban, took men; 

2 and they rose up before Musha with some of the children of Yashar'AL, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. 

3 They gathered together against Musha and Aarun, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is  Qadash, every one of them, and  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH?”

4 So when Musha heard it, he fell on his face; 

5 and Musha spoke to Kurah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  will show us who belongs to Him and who is Qadash, for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will allow those He chose to come near to Him, in His presence

6 Do this: Take cansars, Kurah and all your company; 

7 put fire in them and put incense in them before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  chooses is the Qadash one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of La'uy!”

8 Then Musha said to Kurah, “Hear now, you sons of La'uy: 

9 Is it a small thing to you that the  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL has separated you from the congregation of Yashar'AL, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; 

10 and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of La'uy, with you? And are you seeking the Kuhanym also? 

11 Therefore you and all your company are  gathered together against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. And what is Aarun that you complain against him?”

12 And Musha sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Aliab, but they said, “We will not come up! 

13 Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should keep acting like a prince over us? 

14 Moreover you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”

15 Then Musha was very angry, and said to  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them.”

16 And Musha said to Kurah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company be present before  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH you and they, as well as Aarun. 

17 Let each take his censer and put incense in it, and each of you bring his censer before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, two hundred and fifty censers; both you and Aarun, each with his censer.” 

18 So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle of meeting with Musha and Aarun. 

19 And Kurah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the Kabad of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  appeared to all the congregation.

20 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha and Aarun, saying, 

21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”

22 Then they fell on their faces, and said, “O 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of the Ruach of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?”

23 So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha, saying, 

24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents of Kurah, Dathan, and Abiram.’ ”

25 Then Musha rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Yashar'AL followed him. 

26 And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.” 

27 So they got away from around the tents of Kurah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children.

28 And Musha said: “By this you shall know that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. 

29 If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has not sent me. 

30 But if 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH creates a new thing, and the Arath opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.”

31 Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, 

32 and the Arath opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Kurah, with all their goods. 

33 So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the Arath (earth) closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly. 

34 Then all Yashar'AL who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the Arath swallow us up also!”

35 And a fire came out from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

36 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha saying

37 “Tell Alaazar, the son of Aarun the Kuhan, to pick up the censers out of the blaze, for they are Qadash, and scatter the fire some distance away. 

38 The censers of these men who sinned against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. Because they presented them before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, therefore they are Qadash; and they shall be a sign to the children of Yashar'AL.” 

39 So Alaazar the Kuhan took the bronze censers, which those who were burned up had presented, and they were hammered out as a covering on the altar, 

40 to be a memorial to the children of Yashar'AL that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aarun, should come near to offer incense before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, that he might not become like Kurah and his companions, just as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had said to him through Musha.

Complaints of the People

41 On the next day all the congregation of the children of Yashar'AL complained against Musha and Aarun, saying, “You have killed the people of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.

42 Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Musha and Aarun, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the Kabad of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH appeared. 

43 Then Musha and Aarun came before the tabernacle of meeting.

44 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha saying

45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment,” and they fell on their faces.

46 So Musha said to Aarun, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. The plague has begun.” 

47 Then Aarun took it as Musha commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. 

48 And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped. 

49 Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Kurah incident. 

50 So Aarun returned to Musha at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.